A King's Ransom

It's time for our Mayor for Life's annual shell game, passing the city's operating budget. In most cities, the mayor would submit a budget to city council, and the city council would spend time discussing the budget, asking the mayor and his department heads specific questions about specific budget expenditures, and having real life budget hearings. Our neighbors to the east, in Canton, actually do this. Canton city council actually spends time debating the budget. They actually question the mayor. And get this. The mayor actually responds to their questions without sniping at council members for having the audacity to question him. Canton Mayor Healy doesn't refer to members of council who question city expenditures as "Anti-Canton," and "mayor haters."

Our Mayor for Life has intimidated members of Massillon City Council for so long, that they no longer dare question his budget. He submits an unbalanced budget. And the rubber stamps approve it, with little discussion or debate. Yes, it is getting tougher for our Mayor for Life to pull this off every year. Last year, his budget passed on a razor thin 5 - 4 vote. Many have speculated that the only reason our Mayor for Life got council member Donnie Peters' critical deciding vote was because the city street paving schedule was changed, and the city agreed to pave Tremont, something Peters has complained about for years.

Part of the reason the city's budget process is so dysfunctional, is that the Chairman of the Finance Committee of Massillon City Council is Paul Manson. Paul Manson is the penultimate rubber stamp and loyal to the end lap dog for Mayor Frank Cicchinelli. If Cicchinelli wanted the city's water supply poisoned with arsenic, we believe Manson would probably vote to support it. Paul Manson has been there for the mayor on every vote. Manson voted to pass last year's unbalanced budget, voted to approve a "storm water utility fee," and continuously votes to spend tax dollars to pay the mortgage of the privately owned Hampton Inn Hotel.

Manson does not question the budget the mayor submits to council. Sure, it is not balanced, but Lap Dog Paul does not care. Lap Dog Paul doesn't bother holding budget hearings. Budget hearings would be inconvenient to our thin skinned mayor who might be forced to answer questions from council members who may actually question his spending. We certainly can't have that.

By law, a city must pass a balanced budget. To make the math work, so that city expenditures do not exceed revenue, the mayor does not budget for things like police and fire over time. He knows there will be police and fire over time, he just doesn't budget for it. And Lap Dog Paul doesn't question it.

"Mayor Cicchinelli's 2011 budget leaves short salary line items for the general fund's biggest recipients - the Massillon Police and Fire Departments" (The Independent, 11/06/2010).

Our Mayor for Life ignores these built in budget shortfalls. The problem then goes away until the city's "Annual Summer Financial Crisis," when Auditor Jayne Ferrero has an epiphany and realizes the city's budget is short. The Mayor quickly passes the buck, and decries that it is the job of the auditor to find the money. The auditor cheerfully goes along with this charade, and happily takes responsibility, saving the mayor from taking blame for submitting an unbalanced budget in the first place. This is how it works every year.

www.massillonreview.blogspot.com/2010/05/summertime.html

www.massillonreview.blogspot.com/2010/06/surprise.html

City Council passed the mayor's unbalanced 2011 budget in March this year. Lap Dog Paul wants the 2012 budget passed a whole lot earlier. Lap Dog Paul wants it voted on in December.

"I want to take a vote by the end of the year" (Paul Manson, The Independent, 11/05/10).

Lap Dog Paul is in a hurry. But Why?